<h2>Arduino IDE vs the Arduino Plugin</h2>
<accordion close-others="true">
  <accordion-group heading="Why would I want to use this plugin?">
	This plugin is not meant to replace the Arduino IDE.<br>
	I think the Arduino IDE is the place to get started with Arduino, no matter what is your background.
	However when you are growing in writing code, or when you come from a software development background you will feel restrained by the Arduino IDE.
	In that case Sloeber may be an alternative.<br>
	<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zc2JLbtbI7Q?list=PLCSjf7QmP3TDPSjT_5UIp0DHXzKdhIQsF" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
  </accordion-group>
  <accordion-group heading="What is the benefit of the Arduino IDE to the Sloeber?">
	The Arduino IDE does a great job in introducing people to Arduino. This is so for hardware people writing their first C++ code and for software developers
	doing their first electronics experience. So if you are new to Arduino stop reading and learn to use the Arduino IDE.<br>
	<br>
	The Arduino IDE does this by &quot;hiding&quot; C++ code complexity, Hardware complexity and build environment complexity .<br>
	<br>
	Since the plugin supports .ino files the C++ code complexity is similar in both tools.
	<br>
	The hardware complexity is hidden in the libraries/compiler/winAVR which are also used by Sloeber.
	So there is no &quot;real&quot; difference there.<br>
	<br>
	Arduino IDE build the build path for you. Sloeber does not do this as good. This means that you will have to add libraries manually to your project in a very similar way as you can "add" libraries in the arduino ide. (A simple #include "library.h" may not do it)<br>
	This is typically something a real developer wants to take ownership off.<br>

	This because the way the Arduino IDE is set up it hides or avoids the need of these
	functionalities. There are plenty of good C/C++ documents on the web that
	explain these things, so I won't.<br>
  </accordion-group>
  <accordion-group heading="What is the benefit of Sloeber to the Arduino IDE?">
	With Sloeber you have a environment that is fully focused on the development of source code. It
	provides plenty of features. The ones I like the most are:

	<ul  type=disc>
	 <li > context sensitive coloring (read the color of the text changes because it is code or non active code or comment or ..) </li><li >
	 Immediate documentation (When you hover over a function you get the documentation of the function or even the implementation)</li><li >
	 Link through (ctrl clicking on a method sends you to the implementation of definition of the method)</li> <li >
	 Auto complete (pressing CTRL space when typing a name you get a list of known names that start with these letters)</li><li>
	 Integration with version control tools.</li><li>
	Search functionality like "Call hierarchy", include browser.</li><li>
	Access to code in Arduino libraries and private libraries as if they are part of the same project.</li><li>
	Not all files of the project need to be open all the time.</li><li>
	Easy location of errors and warnings in the open file. (read and orange boxes right of the editor)</li><li>
	Easy location of variables and methods in files. (gray boxes right of the editor)</li><li>
	A system to keep hold of your Tasks. (simply adding a comment that starts with TODO will add the todo to the task view )</li><li>
	......
	</li></ul>
	Did I mention compilation speed?<br>
	So there are plenty of good things a software developer misses in the Arduino IDE.
  </accordion-group>
  <accordion-group heading="What do I need to know to develop code for Arduino with Sloeber?">
	After you have read the pro and con's question you may wonder &quot;how much is there to learn before I get this plugin to work?&quot;<br>

	There is good news and there is bad news.<br>

	The <b>good news</b> is: other people got it to work relatively quickly so why would you not be
	able to do it. Sloeber (just like the Arduino IDE) hides AVR-C++ and avrDude<br>

	The <b>bad news</b> is that to get the full benefit you will have to understand more of C/C++
	development; Eclipse and CDT. Eclipse is a professional development environment
	and that brings some complexity. But you don't have to understand it all before
	you get your first programs running.
  </accordion-group>
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